By Andrew Gans
15 Apr 2005

As for more definite plans, the summer will find the actress starring as Mrs. Walker in the Pittsburgh CLO mounting of The Who's Tommy. The pop musical, which marked Ripley's Broadway debut, will be directed by Tony Stevens and will run July 12-24. The versatile performer is also in negotiations to return to the Arena Stage, playing Lola opposite Matt Bogart's Joe Hardy in the theatre's winter production of Damn Yankees. "I haven't signed anything yet," says Ripley, "but they've asked us to do Damn Yankees, and it would be so fun to see Matt Bogart stripped to the waist every day! I would play Lola. It's the kind of role that I wouldn't normally get, [so] I'm very excited about that."

The former Side Show star is also excited about her self-titled rock band RIPLEY, which features her husband, Shannon Ford, on drums with Skip Ward on bass and Christopher Schelling on keyboards. The foursome is currently at work on their first full-length recording, which will include music and lyrics all composed by Ripley. "Writing is the place where I can do it all and get away with it," laughs Ripley. "You can't do that in the theatre. You really have to learn how to collaborate and how to find the language to communicate. [When I'm writing], I don't have to go through that part of the process. I can do it on my own, and luckily I have these amazing people in the band, and they're dedicated to it. Now we're just so enjoying making the record. Those are the hours that fly by when I'm writing or when I'm in the studio. It's such a feeling of freedom. . . This [record] sounds so different from the first one that I did on Sh-K-Boom ['Everything's Fine'] and even the one that we made last year, which was our band's EP. It sounds more finished, more mature, more ripe."

But, for now, Ripley is more than content playing Genevieve in The Baker's Wife, which opens for the critics this weekend. "I think it's one of the most challenging roles I've ever played," concludes Ripley. "The show and the character have little twists and hidden staircases, but at the same time it's very straightforward and simple. The relationships make up the show — it's simple on the surface, but underneath all of it there are all these little cracks and crevices and hidden closets that are never opened. I think that's why at the end of the show it's so moving because you see two people come together."

Whether she's writing her own tunes, singing on Broadway or playing the Baker's Wife at the Paper Mill, Ripley has a singular goal: "I want it to be a real part of me. In an ideal world, the creative process becomes a mirror — and shows me a side of myself I might not otherwise see. Then, by seeing myself more clearly, I can change if I wish to. I live for the moments when what I create teaches me about myself."

[Stephen Schwartz and Joseph Stein's The Baker's Wife plays New Jersey's Paper Mill Playhouse through May 15. Tickets, priced $31-$68, are available by calling (973) 376-4343. Visit www.papermill.org for more information.]

DIVA TIDBITS

I admit I'm generally not a big fan of one-composer cabaret shows, so why was Monday's night One Enchanted Evening concert — an evening of Richard Rodgers tunes, both his work with Lorenz Hart and later with Oscar Hammerstein — so wonderful? The answer: Maureen McGovern. McGovern, on her night off from Little Women, performed a nearly flawless 80-minute set at Birdland as a fundraiser for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. One can't help commenting on McGovern's kindness and open heart, which comes through in her work and adds immensely to her appeal as a performer. And, in addition to her wonderful voice, which can belt, swing, scat and soar, she's also a consummate professional, who knows how to create a truly enjoyable evening, combining humorous offerings with more moving fare. In the former category were a wonderful reading of Rodgers and Hart's "To Keep My Love Alive" — performed with a haughty British accent — as well as a Peter Matz arrangement of snippets of dozens of Rodgers tunes that left both the singer and the audience breathless. Other highlights included an a capella version of "My Funny Valentine," heartfelt renditions of "It Never Entered My Mind" and "This Nearly Was My Mine," a stirring pairing of Sondheim's "Children Will Listen" with South Pacific's "You've Got to Be Carefully Taught" as well as uptempo, belty takes on "Falling in Love with Love" and "My Favorite Things." McGovern also included Rodgers trivia, personal anecdotes about her work in Rodgers shows and a wonderful story about performing "I Enjoy Being a Girl" in the hit film "Airplane" that was, unfortunately, left on the cutting-room floor. McGovern concluded her Rodgers set with a thoroughly moving rendition of "You'll Never Walk Alone" that built from a gentle, whispery tone to a thrilling, belty climax. The sold-out audience, quickly on its feet, demanded two encores: her signature tune, "The Morning After" (close your eyes, and McGovern's voice remains remarkably unchanged) and the Gershwins' "Our Love Is Here to Stay." The audience joined McGovern on the latter, and the warmth that the singer had exuded all evening, seemed to envelop the entire room and was directed back at the singing actress. Musical director Jeff Harris' work as arranger and pianist should also be noted; he was an integral component of this remarkable Enchanted Evening.

Tony Award winner Kristin Chenoweth, most recently on Broadway in the hit musical Wicked, will take part in the "Broadway Divas as Gay Icons" series at the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center. Hosted by New York Times critic Stephen Holden, the April 26 evening will begin at 7 PM. A Conversation with Kristin Chenoweth is the latest in the series with Broadway performers "whose work has a special resonance in the gay and lesbian community." Participants in the series have previously included Barbara Cook, Bernadette Peters and Eartha Kitt. The LGBT Community Center is located in Manhattan on West 13th Street, between Seventh and Eighth Avenues. To reserve a seat, visit www.gaycenter.org. There is a suggested donation of $10.

Tony Award winner Debbie Gravitte will star in Big Band Broadway next month at the newly restored Hudson Theatre at the Millennium Broadway Hotel. Gravitte will be accompanied by the RK big band, which is conducted by Russ Kassoff. Jerry Mitchell, represented on Broadway this season with La Cage aux Folles and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, directs the new performance series. Big Band Broadway will be presented May 9, 16 and 23. Show times are 8 PM on May 9 and 7 PM May 16 and 23. Each performance will feature several guest performers. Tickets, priced $35 (general seating), $45 (balcony seating) and $55 (cabaret seating with cocktail service), are available by calling (866) 468-7519 or by visiting www.ticketweb.com. The Hudson Theatre is located at 145 West 44th Street.

Well, that's all for now. Happy diva-watching! E-mail questions or comments to agans@playbill.com.